The future of Afghans who have applied for SIVs is uncertain. The US government has vowed to continue processing SIV applications, but it is unclear how many applications will be approved and how long it will take to process them.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the demand for SIVs has surged. As of March 2023, the State Department had received over 152,000 applications for SIVs. Of those, over 30,000 applications have been approved and over 10,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States.
Afghans who are eligible for the SIV program remain trapped in Afghanistan. The Taliban has made it difficult for Afghans to leave the country, and many Afghans are afraid to apply for the SIV program for fear of reprisals from the Taliban.
Kauser News Journalist recently interviewed an SIV case holder in Kabul. The man, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, shared his story about how he came to be a case holder and what he hopes for the future.
He is a 40-year-old Afghan man, who has been waiting for approval of his Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for over a year. worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army for five years, and he says he is afraid for his safety if he remains in Afghanistan.
“I’ve seen four different governments come and go in my lifetime,” he said. “I’ve seen the Taliban take over twice, and I know what happens to people who worked with the Americans. I’m not safe here.”
His story is not unique. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. government are now seeking SIVs, but the process is long and complicated.
He says he has been submitting paperwork and going to interviews for months, but he still has not heard back from the U.S. government.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said. “I’m running out of money, and I’m afraid to leave my house. I just want to go to America and start a new life.”
His story is a reminder of the challenges that Afghans face in trying to resettle in the United States. The SIV program is a critical tool for helping Afghans who worked with the U.S. government, but the process is slow and bureaucratic. The Biden administration should work to expedite the processing of SIV applications and provide more support to Afghans who are seeking SIVs.
In addition to the challenges of the SIV process, he also faces the threat of the Taliban. The Taliban has a long history of persecuting Afghans who worked with the U.S. government, and he is afraid for his safety if he remains in Afghanistan.
“I know that the Taliban is looking for people like me,” he said. “I’m not safe here. I need to get to America.”
his story is a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of the war in Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghans have risked their lives to help the U.S. government, and now they are being forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in the United States. The Biden administration has a moral obligation to help these Afghans, and the SIV program is a critical tool for doing so.
His story is also a reminder of the dangers of fraud in the SIV process.
he knows of people who have obtained SIVs through fraudulent means, and he says this is delaying the process for legitimate applicants. The State Department should take steps to crack down on fraud in the SIV process, and it should make sure that legitimate applicants are not being unfairly penalized.
He is hopeful that he will eventually be able to resettle in the United States, but he says he is starting to lose hope. He says he is tired of living in fear, and he just wants to start a new life with his family.
“I just want to be safe,” he said. “I want to be able to go to school, and I want my kids to have a future.”
